Mighty wits clash in give-away
"I don't want it, you take it."
"Well, I don't want... you keep it."
It's no secret that the school district has a hard time with gifts, but here's one for the record book. Below are some excerpts from an article entitled "District rejects lights from Dubach park for Pioneer" that appears in today's Daily Democrat (click the title of this story to access):
Parents went to the April 24 Woodland school board meeting to find out why the Woodland Joint Unified School District turned down about $500,000 in donated stadium lights.
Woodland resident Duane Tony said he was informed by Parks and Recreation Director Dan Gentry that the city offered to donate 16 stadium lights from Dubach Field to the school district.
"The Pioneer High School soccer field is in need of lights," he said.
"The soccer boosters at Pioneer have contractors that are willing to go out there, take them down and take them to Pioneer and take them in," he said. "All this was known to the school district, but they declined."
According to a "Friday Facts" memo by Assistant Superintend Kelly Morgan, Jimmy La Grand, director of maintenance, operations and facilities, visited the park and inspected the lights, fence and bleachers on March 11. La Grand noted that the lights were more than 20 years old and the bulbs and fixtures of the lights were not energy efficient.
In addition to being old, the district would of run into other construction issues if they chose to accept the lights. [I left this in just so you could see the Democrat's grammar]
"We understand that people have good intentions, but there are restrictions that we have as a school district, that parent groups may not be aware of, like meeting state requirements," Morgan said. "A project like this has to be approved through the Department of the State Architect and would involve architects, engineers, an inspector, etc."
End notes:
• Don't believe the $500,000 value (it's city budget-speak, remember)
• The term "lights" must refer to all the fixtures and poles considering the later statement about "construction issues"
• Please note that a school has a need and the city has some free stuff to partially fulfill that need
• There are community volunteers ready to help
• 20 year-old metal poles can last 20 more years, probably a lot more
• New energy efficient bulbs and fixtures can be purchased... or not, considering replacement costs might be higher than energy costs
• "A project like this has to be approved..." - okay, so have it approved.
Summary:
"Eew! It's old. I don't want it."
"Fine. I'll just throw it away, then."
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23 comments:
By the way, I still haven't heard what the cost will be to convert Dubach Park into an operable holding pond for city storm water.
I can't believe they turned down an opportunity to pay their consultants some money. They could spend $500k on just studying the possibility of moving those poles around.
Yes just what we need a massive holding pond next to a fetilizer plant. Sounds like another good idea to me.
Spending others peoples money to "influence and impress" is the fudiciary responsibility of government wonks. The greatest generation made it through WWII only to produce the "snot nosed" brat baby boomer generation of the 60's that spew recycle..recycle..
recycle.. then do this. I am embarrassed and ashamed of my fellow boomers.
Class of '56
I never realized that I am a snot nosed brat that spews recycle recycle. Thanks Cal for letting me know where I sit in the scheme of things. Um....wasn't your wife born in the 60s? Think before you speak dude.
yolocalvet,
I'm not sure I get your point. Are you suggesting the school district purchase new light poles? Or are you suggesting the the city not recycle the light poles if the district doesn't want them?
The article was intended to point out that there was a need that could be met... somehow, it seems, but skewed minds will not let it happen.
Looks like the price of tearing Dubach went up due to the salvage items being given away.I think Pioneer High School using the lights would have been a very acceptable give away.The High School would have put them to use. I fear instead the lights were given to "salvage" as opposed to being used.This happened before the bid walk thru. This makes the value of the salvageable items go down and the price of Demo go up.
The Pioneer High School Soccer Boosters had several contractors lined up to take them down, transport them, buld new base foundations, install them and even had partial funding to begin buying NEW ENERGY efficiant lights...YES all of this was DONATED. However, the WJUSD still said NO.
They said it wouldn't pass state inspection, but yet they can NOT produce any engineer report to back that up. So, WHO says it wouldn't pass? No WJUSD Engineer ever went out there from my knowledge. No state inspector ever went out there. If they had, there would be a full report on file from the school district. WJUSD does not have one.
So, the question is, Why did they reject a donation. In fact the re-sale value of those lights, fencing and bleachers is well over $500,000 this is not the city talking.
If the WJUSD is in such a crunch, wouldn't this be something that should be looked into? . Pink slips are flying around like a Ludys menu on pay day friday, what gives? We can't keep good coach's, we can't keep teachers, now, we can't even get a hand me down from the city.
One more thing, those light that were donated over two years ago for the Pioneer Stadium, yes they are up, but they don't work! The WJUSD has refused to pay $5,000.00 in copper wiring for the last year to finish the job. We are told "its not in the budget"
When the original bid for the lights went out it was nearly 5 years ago, well time had passed and prices went up, so when it came to actually buy them, after the Gill brothers donated (thank you by the way) the money; PHS was short $30,000.00 Did the WJUSD pick up the rest of the tab? HELL NO, it was the Football Boosters. The WJUSD has yet to pay for crap on that stadium. When the bleachers actually get there, then I will say they did something.
Also, what ever happen to the 3x2x2 ??? Remember that big Hype from REXROAD? When he was mayor? He was going to be the one to bring the city, WCC and WJUSD together for the multi-use. Where they at now?
That all folded and we have not heard about that for more than what 18 months? No million dollar loan, no turf, no track, no stadium.....What a joke, then again, look who headed that one up.
ticked off,
Thank you for illuminating the subject (no pun intended). I still question the value of the equipment - I know what condition it's in. That, however, does not diminish the fact that the city made a generous offer.
Certainly something could have been worked out... it just needed a little effort. Even if it took a state representative to put pressure on the state architects, it would have been worth a shot.
Council should have been alerted to talk to Glover, Berg or Villagrana. But then again, why didn't the school board do something at the April 24 meeting?
I agree with you, this district is pathetic.
As much as I love Glover, Berg and Rogelio, they are powerless with the other four sheep on the board.
A recall is a unfortunate, but necessary step to righting this school district.
When the details of this new building lease are made public, the four members will be gone.
Hey, "Class of '56", maybe you should have listened in school...
Annie 446,
I'm talking about the people that were 16,19,20 somethings in the Sixties, that are now School Administrators that pound the Recycle..recycle...recycle mantra. But then this opportunity comes up and they don't take advantage of it or follow their own advice. And not to come up with the 5K to finish the PHS lighting is ridiculous. Reminds me of the guy in New Mexico that built homes for people out of what the could recycle, but then a shift in gov't(skewed mind syndrome) said it wasn't up to code... yadayadayada ...then he goes to help the sunami victims build homes out of tires, and what ever they could salvage and he was hailed a innovative hero and is currently in Mexico helping those people build shelter. We as Americans have become spoiled.
This is just another good reason to have the recall.
Mike
Hey Dino,
The word is that the City of Woodland ended up giving all the equipment from Dubach to the Woodland Little League. Any truth to that? What do you know?
If so, it really went right back to the city in a indirect way.
Mike
The little league should gift it to PHS...wouldn't that screw the board. Don't say "would you like this" say "here ya go and we won't have it any other way...it's yours, get it put in before anyone can say anything against it"
If the Little league did get it and keeps it....at least it's going to something for the kids of the town.
Mike,
I don't know anything about installing the Dubach lights at the Little League fields (that are owned by the city).
I'm still waiting to hear what Little League is going to do with the $20,000 from MLB. I suggested using some of it to make Dustin Pedroia Field look like Fenway Park as a tribute to Dustin and his MLB team. Apparently that has fallen on deaf ears.
The School District should inquire if PG&E has an incentive or rebate program in place that would off set the cost the District would incur in updating the lights as required by the State. By doing so, the District might be pleasantly surprised by the response from PG&E .
In my opinion, the District should allow more public participation in the decision making process in matters such as this. It would help educate the public as to the bureaucratic hoops the District might have to jump through. Sometimes, something so simple as a donation could turn into a nightmare to initiate. How else will we, the general public understand how the system works ?
Anon 6:17
Glad you asked, because PG&E Was consulted and they told us of a program were we could get rebates and even had vendor lists that were APPROVED BY THE STATE DEPT. OF EDUACTION....Hmmmmm I guess that was not good enough for Jimmy La Grande and Kelly Morgan of WJUSD. Let me remind everyone, this would have been cost free of the district to take this stuff. DOANTED LABOR, MATERIAL, AND BOOSTERS WOULD PURCHASE NEW ENERGY EFFICIANT LIGHTS.
But what the hey, we got the blue shield building right and my friends got pink slips.
Did you advise the School Board of your discovery of a rebate program?
I dont recall hearing anything about PG&E or rebate programs at the last board meeting
Sorry, but I was not at the last board meeting and YES the WJUSD (maintenace and operations) was well aware of the available programs of rebates and energy efficant lighting. The WJUSD buys millions of dollars of equipment a year, they know whats out there to buy, they just didn't want to mess with this whole donation thing.
Was the doantion from the City on the last agenda? I was going off what the paper reported, It looked as if though it never made it to the board after that guy brought it to their attention. Maybe I am wrong.
The Woodland school board is rejecting the big gift of lights for one reason and one reason only: unions. Unions get to build public schools at prevailing wages, much higher than the private sector. If WJUSD had let those private lights go up, their union buddies wouldn't have gotten paid and the district couldn't overpay on purchasing mundo-expensive new lights. Comprehende?
AHHH, yet another strike against the unions.
but if the truth hurts, oh well!
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